


Outcast Camp

by IS_THAT_MOSS



Category: CrankGameplays - Fandom, Unus Annus - Fandom, markiplier - Fandom, youtube - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe- Powers, Alternate Universe-PJO, Amy Nelson is Amazing, Angst, Ethan is baby, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Greek gods, How Do I Tag, I'm Bad At Tagging, I'm Sorry, Kinda, M/M, Mark is Mark, Monsters, My First Fanfic, Mythology - Freeform, No Smut, Other, Percy Jackson AU!, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, at all, demi-god!Amy, demi-god!Ethan, demi-god!Everyone, demi-god!Jack, demi-god!Mark, greek monsters, not really - Freeform, not really but, the gang's all here
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:01:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24101785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IS_THAT_MOSS/pseuds/IS_THAT_MOSS
Summary: Ethan did not ask for this. At all. Who would EVER ask to be ripped from your family and thrown into a crazy-ass world filled with gods, monsters, and all sorts of shit he can't even begin to explain.He never asked to be a half-blood.At least he made some pretty cool friends. And a guy who looks way to good even when he's covered in soot and ash.What could go wrong? Everything. Everything could go wrong.
Relationships: Mark Fischbach/Ethan Nestor, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Comments: 17
Kudos: 128





	1. The Start to a Whole Lot of Shit

It was dark, darker than it should have been really. Ethan didn't even know why he was awake right now, seeing as he always crashed around six or seven but it didn't matter. Right now, what mattered was the humongous fucking snake lady trying to eat him. That's right folks! He somehow managed to wake up in the middle of the night only to see a 20ft long snake lady eating his younger brother with his parents nowhere to be seen. Now he’s running away from said snake lady while trying not to cry because _why did he think it would be a good idea to run into the fucking woods this late at night._

“Foolish child! Did you really think you could get away from me?!” The creature shrieked, causing Ethan to somehow get even more scared because _why the hell does she sound so fucking close?_ Suddenly, the world fell and he was face first in a pile of leaves and dirt. Turning around as quickly as he could, he realized that he had tripped on what looked like an animal rib cage and that the freaky snake lady was hovering over him like he was an all you can eat buffet. 

He could barely make out what she looked like in the moonlight, but it was _terrifying._ She was pale and scrawny, looking like she had been starving for years. Her ribs jutted out and her joints were pointy. She was completely naked from her snake waist up and her mouth was lined with razor-sharp, blood-soaked teeth. She smiled wide, her red eyes glinting with terrifying hunger. 

“You are a bit old for my taste, but one must never be picky! Oh, you look just delicious! It has been so long since I could taste your kind’s flesh! You will make quite a meal..” the lady rambled as she slowly reached down towards Ethan. He scooted back as much as he could, until his back hit a tree. Realizing he would be out of options he decided to try and talk his way out because he was smart and talking his way out of anything has _always_ worked. 

“H-hey now I c-can't be that good! I'm all s-stringy and gross and stuff! Come on now l-let's talk about this!” He said, pushing up against the tree trunk more. 

“Oh no no no baby~! There will be _no talking.”_ She hissed, suddenly striking. He screamed and so did she, because right before she could do any damage, a man with _goat legs_ flew out of nowhere and _drop kicked her in the face._

“ÄT GÖR SNAKE BITCH!!!” He screamed, sending her into a tree. The goat-man landed on his hooves and took a battle stance. Ethan, despite the fact that _now was the chance to get the hell out of there_ , sat in awe at the fact that he had not only seen a cannibalistic snake lady but had also seen said cannibalistic snake lady get kicked in the face… by a goat man. What a day. 

“W-what the fuck! A fucking Satyr! Gods damn it why must you bastards always get in the way of my meals!” The lady growled out, a trail of blood running down her nose and mouth. 

“Why do you monsters always have to make things difficult! It's like you were cursed or something!” The Satyr teased, putting his hands on his hips. If there was something you should never do in a fight against a giant snake lady, do not do that. The snake lady screamed and lunged at Satyr, who stepped out of the way and brought a small gold dagger down onto her shoulder. The snake lady howled in pain and wheeled around to face the Satyr again. Before she could strike again, a blade was thrust through her chest, causing her to scream before she turned to ash revealing a young boy holding the blade. 

“Well that was easy.” The boy said, an Irish accent slipping through. The Satyr gave him an unbelieving look.

“Jack, I had that! I thought I told you to stay back!” He huffed, stomping. The boy, Jack apparently, rolled his eyes. 

“Yeah, well I got it done didn't I? Anyway, we've got something else we gotta deal with.” He said, pointing his thumb at Ethan, who had no idea what to feel. Yay! The snake lady was gone! A goat-man is standing in front of him! What!

“What!” He said, causing the Satyr to look at him. 

“Oh hey! I nearly forgot about you!” He smiled and crouched down, putting his hand out. “The name’s Felix, but my friends call me Fe! What's yours?” Ethan could not believe this was happening. 

“You’re- you’re a goat man-what? What was that who are you-?” He rambled, causing the Satyr to falter a bit and Jack to snicker.

“Ha, goat man.” he giggled, earning a glare from Felix.

“Shut it, potato.” He replied, turning back to Ethan who was starting to gain his sanity back. “Hey I can explain all that later, but right now we gotta get out of here. Can you stand?” Ethan nodded and grabbed Felix’s hand, who pulled him up. 

“Where’s your house? We have to get you something other than pajamas.” Felix stated, and it was only then he realized how cold he was. 

“U-umm it’s that way- but-” they two turned to walk that way before he could tell them what happened. “Wait, you-you don't want to go there! It’s- she- they-!” he choked out, holding onto Felix’s hand. The two stopped, looked at each other then back at him. 

“We know. She was Lamia, she was a monster. We know what to expect, but you don't have to go in-”

“Why do I have to go with you guys? Why can't I go home and call the cops?” Even as he said it he knew it was a stupid question. He already knew the answer, but he hoped it wasn't true. 

“Because you won't be safe. She was there because she was drawn here. So will other monsters. We have to go and get stuff for you that isn't pajamas.”

“We also need food and money.” Stated Jack, earning a smack from Felix

“Jävla rövhål! Shut up!” He spat, turning back to Ethan, “But yeah that too, only if you're okay with it!” He looked at Ethan with thoughtful eyes. Ethan looked down and huffed. He was cold. He was scared. He was alone. He had no other choice.

“Okay. I’ll show you. But we are not taking more than we need.” He said, looking up with determined eyes. Felix smiled And Jack nodded, turning away and making their way through the forest back to his house. 

  
  



	2. Time Flies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad that people are liking this fic! My writing is not the best and I appreciate all of you! I hope you will stick around. More notes at the End! Stay safe <3

They had made their way slowly through the forest, and Ethan was miserable. His feet hurt, he was cold, everything was hurting and he was exhausted. But after what felt like hours they arrived at his home. His heart filled with pain and his eyes pricked with tears. Jack looked back at him.

“Hey dude, it's okay. Where's your bedroom? We can get you in through the window so you don't have to go through the house.” Jack said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Ethan took in a shaky breath and pointed to the second floor. 

“All the bedrooms are on the second floor. Mine is the one in the middle.” He said, hugging himself. Jack smiled and turned to Felix. 

“You stay here with him while I go in and make a way up.” Felix nodded and they watched as Jack ran into the house, disappearing through the entrance. 

It was quiet for a while before Felix turned to him.

“So, you never did tell me your name.” He Said, smiling at Ethan. Ethan tried to smile back, despite how he felt. 

“I-I’m Ethan…” He said, shivering. He looked up to his window and huffed “What the hell is taking him so long? It's freezing out here.” Felix laughed and looked up. 

“He won't be too long. I hope.” They smiled when the window opened and two sheets tied together swung out of the window. Not soon after, all three teens were in Ethan's room. Ethan looked around, then at the two others in his room.

“So… what now?” he said, shifting uncomfortably. Felix sighed and looked around the room.

“You pack up what you can grab what you can't live without. Maybe a photo or two and then head off.” Felix said, looking at Ethan. “We’ll leave you alone to do what you need. But don't take too long, okay?” He said, walking out with Jack behind him. 

Ethan looked around his room. He felt tears prick at his eyes and he wiped them away. Grabbing his duffle bag, he started packing his clothes. He grabbed some jeans and sweats, along with his favorite hoodie and a sweater his dad gave him. He grabbed a new pair of clothes to change into because honestly, pajamas were not going to cut it. He grabbed a shirt his mother had gotten him this past birthday, a blue baseball tee, and a zip-up hoodie and a jean jacket. After changing out of his pj’s and into some new clothes, he grabbed his Allergy bracelet and a couple of epi-pens to put into his bag.

He was about to walk out when he remembered two things he knew couldn't stay here. His Ukelele, and his mother’s ring. After quickly putting his Uke in its case, he walked out of his room and towards his mother’s room. He stood at the door breathing heavily. Quickly, he pushed the door open to see it empty. He ran to his mother’s bedside table and pulled out the first drawer. He found the ring and the chain it was always on and slipped it over his head. He was about to leave when he saw a photo out of the corner of his eye. It was a photo taken a couple of months earlier. He, his mom, and Teddy smiling at the camera, the sun making them glow. Wiping away the tears that were streaming down his face, he grabbed the photo and stuffed it in his bag.

He walked out of the room and down the stairs to a very destroyed living room. Jack was stuffing something into his pockets while Felix was eating one of the many beer cans left by his stepfather. Jack turned around and smiled.

“Hey, Eth. You got everything?” He nodded and Felix gulped, then bleated.

“Woo excuse me. Let's get going then.” Jack Nodded and grabbed an orange that was sitting on the counter and made his way out. Ethan followed Jack who was joking about how ‘the potatoes were so much different in America!’ while biting into the orange. Felix followed closely behind, laughing at Jack’s attempts to make Ethan smile, which worked by the way. It wasn't too soon later that they were leaving the city and the sun was peeking up on the horizon. 

*le time skip? yes. yes, it is*.

They were camping somewhere in the woods in York, Maine. Felix was sleeping by the fire while Jack and Ethan sat in silence. To say Ethan was uncomfortable was an understatement. He had no idea where they were going and he hadn’t had a shower in a week. Jack was a goddamn mystery too. Felix hadn’t said much about what was going on or where they were going, only that they were “special” and would be safe soon. He decided to try and get some answers from Jack, even if it wasn't much. 

“Hey, umm, Jack. Do you know where we’re going?” He asked. Jack looked up and bit his lip, which Ethan had learned was a nervous tic of his.

“New York. Some camp for people likes-” he paused, frustrated, gesturing between the two of them, “- us, I guess. I don't know, that's what m’ pa said.” He said, poking the fire. Ethan looked into the fire and sighed. 

“Who are, we, exactly?” He said shifting towards the fire. “I mean, we can’t be  _ that  _ important, right?” He looked up quickly, “No offense.”

“None taken.” Jack laughed. “But your right. I'm just some kid from Ireland and you're just some kid from Maine. There’s not a lot that connects us, except…” he looked over to the sleeping satyr, who had started bleating in his sleep. “Uhhh, that.” They laughed and went back to looking at the fire. Soon, Ethan spoke up.

“So, what's your story? I mean, it's not every day an Irish kid is traveling through America with a satyr.” He looked up to see Jack frowning at the fire. 

“It’s not that excitin’. I was raised by m’ pa. Don’t know who m’ ma was, he always said she worked in America, but I just assumed she was a deadbeat. So, after he died a couple o’ months ago, I decided it was time for a change of scenery,” he Looked up with a small smile, “And that’s when I meet Fe. I was crossing from Nova Scotia to Maine and the ship was almost attacked by a sea monster. That’s when this rando grabbed me, pushed me into a lifeboat, and jumped in with me. I didn’t even realize he was a Satyr until we got to land.” He laughed and looked back at the fire. 

“Wow, uh, I’m sorry about your dad. I never knew my dad.” Jack looked back up, confused. 

“Then who was that man’s, uhhh,  _ body, _ at your house?” He asked, obviously trying not to make Ethan upset. Ethan wrung his hands together.

“My mom’s fiance. He was nice and stuff, but he wasn’t dad material.” He said, making Jack nod. They stared back at the fire, silent. Soon the both fell asleep, hoping the next day would be better than others. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this filler chapter! My problem with writing is that I have trouble getting from one place to another so short little fillers with information are my go-to! Updates might get shakey because of school, so I will write and update when I can! If you have anything you would like to see or have any ideas I would love to hear them! Stay lovely <3


	3. Work it Biatch!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhh shit gets real! thank you all for the support! Beware, it's a long boi today. Now, on to the fic! <3

They awoke the next day to Felix’s excited bleating. 

“Fee wot th’  _ fock _ has y’ makin’ those hellish noises this early in th’ mornin’!” mumbled a very sleepy Jack, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Ethan sat up and yawned, too tired to care about the screaming Irish man. 

“There’s a town nearby! It has a bus route! We can buy a ticket and get on a bus to New York!” Both boys straightened at that, looking at each other excitedly, “One ticket each to prove we paid for the trip and off we go!”

“Wait Fe how much are the tickets?” asked Jack, sitting forward. Felix faltered a bit. 

“I- I don’t know, but they can't be too much!” He said standing and gathering his things. Jack sighed and did the same, leaving one question unanswered to Ethan. 

“Wait! Felix, how are we gonna get into the city with... Your legs like… uh, that.” He said pointing to the Satyr’s legs. Felix smiled and pulled a pair of sweatpants out of his bag, along with a pair of arm crutches. 

“Easy. I am now your deformed and disabled cousin!” he smiled, slipping the pants on and grabbing the crutches. “Now, shall we get going?” He smiled, turning and leading the two boys through the woods.

It was in fact, very expensive to get three tickets, even with the disabled discount Felix got. 

“Thirty dollars  _ each _ ? How the hell are we going to get thirty dollars  _ EACH!”  _ shouted Jack, waving his hands in the air. Felix looked down.

“Well, it’s more like twenty-nine dollars-”

“Yes! Because one  _ whole dollar  _ makes a difference!” He yelled, sighing and putting his head in his hands, “Okay, here’s the plan. There’s a shopping district not too far from here. You two will sit and try to see if that Uke you’ve been carrying around can make us any money, while I will go and see what I can pickpocket or scavenge to pawn in. We meet back here every day until we get enough to go. Got it?” He said Felix nodded but Ethan was not loving the idea of Jack breaking the law. 

“Wait Jack are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, what if you get caught? We can’t exactly bail you out.” He whispered. Jack looked at him with a smile and grabbed his hand. 

“I’ll be fine! I haven’t been caught yet, I won’t be caught now.” He smiled warmly. Ethan was still worried, but he didn’t have any other ideas so he nodded. Jack stepped back and waved “I’ll meet ya here in time for dinner, alright?” And with that, he ran off and disappeared into the crowds. Felix sighed and looked at Ethan with a forced smile.

“Well, music man, let’s see what we can make.” he joked, letting Ethan lead his way to a spot to play. 

It had been about 3 hours and they had made 5 dollars. Most people were ignoring them, and they got some water bottles and a loaf of bread but not what they needed. Felix was tapping along to the songs and smiling brightly, and In all honesty, Ethan really thought that the 5 dollars they had made so far were pitty money. Sighing, Ethan leaned back against the wall they were sitting at

“God this is impossible!” he huffed. Looking down at the tin can. Felix shifted and nodded. “I hope Jack is having more luck than us, otherwise this is going to take a while.” Felix huffed out a laugh and looked at Ethan.

“Maybe you should try something different,” he said, causing Ethan to look at him in confusion because  _ What the hell does that mean? _

“What do you mean?” He asked raising an eyebrow.

“I mean, try singing something you feel! Singing a song is a lot different than feeling a song. When you really feel connected to a song it’s going to come across in how you play and sing it.” Felix stated, gesturing to him. Ethan looked down, thinking. He remembered what his mom told him when he first started playing.  _ If you don’t like the song, the people listening won’t like it either.  _ It never really made sense when he was little, but now it did. 

“Okay, I’ve got it.” He said. He brought his uke up to play and waited until there were more people and started playing. His strumming echoed through the area, bouncing off the tall buildings and into alleyways. Some people smiled, and one little girl made her family stop to listen. 

_ Often, I am upset _

_ That I cannot fall in love but I guess  _

_ This avoids the stress of falling out of it. _

The little girl smiled and tugged at her mother’s skirt, whispering something to her. The mother nodded and reached for her purse. A little old lady stopped and smiled, then frowned at Felix, before reaching into her bag as well.

_ Are you tired of me yet? _

_ I’m a little sick right now but I swear _

_ When I’m ready I will fly us out of here.  _

A man dropped a couple of coins in as he passed. The little girl came up and put a 10 dollar bill into the cup and the old lady dropped in a couple more coins before going off. Ethan continued to sing, trying his best to focus on the song and not the people putting money in the cup. Felix was smiling and humming along. After about a minute had passed he had realized that a crowd had formed. He belted out the bridge with as much emotion he could. 

_ Little do we know the stars welcome him with open arms _

He slowed as the end of the song came, ignoring the feeling of being watched and pushed through. 

_ ...But strangely he feels at home in this place.  _

He ended the song and opened his eyes to an applauding crowd. He smiled and bowed his head, thanking people who came up and put money in the can. The crowd dispersed and Felix hugged him.

“Dude that was amazing! Where the hell did that come from!” He said smiling. Ethan smiled back and shook his head.

“I don’t know man, but it felt-” He cut himself off when he felt a presence approaching them. He looked up to see what looked like a goofy hipster. The man had long blond hair tied in a bun and had a pair of red wooden sunglasses covering his face. His shirt, which had a gold sun on it with  _ good vibes only _ on it, showed the surprising tan he had. His pants were way too tight and had holes in the knees. He smiled and began to speak. 

“Nice song there, kiddo. Although, your wardrobe could have been a bit more, how do I put it, bright? Yeah, bright. Anyway, you guys are trying to get to New York, Right?” He asked, putting his hands in his pockets. Ethan stared at the man before looking back at Felix, who was looking up at him in utter disbelief. Ethan turned back to the man.

“Uhh, how did you-” 

“Perfect! Now, I don’t usually do this so be hush-hush about it, okay?” He pulled a gold watch out of his back pocket along with a couple of gold coins and dropped it into the can. “I cant wait to see what you get up to! Toodles kiddo!” And with that, he disappeared into the crowd. 

“What the hell-” unable to finish his thought because Felix took that moment to scream. 

“Holy Shit! What the hell! He was- Why was he- WHAT?” he yelled, jumping towards the can and pulling out the gold coins. “Drachma?! Holy shit…” he trailed off. Ethan grabbed the can and pat Felix of the back. 

“Hey, we should probably go meet up with Jack now,” he said. Felix looked up and nodded. The collected their stuff and headed back to the meeting point. 

Jack was already waiting when they got there. He stood up and pulled a wad of cash out of his back pocket.

“I got 25 bucks, how much did you get?” He asked, motioning to the can. Ethan handed him the can and waited as Jack counted out the cash. 

“Not bad, 17 dollars. Still not enough. Want to go see how much this watch is worth? He asked, holding up the watch.

“Yeah sure, lead the way,” Ethan said, following Jack as they made their way to the pawnshop. 

The second he entered the pawnshop he felt eyes on him. They made their way up to the counter. The man eyed them with suspicion, crossing his arms before he spoke. 

“Waddia ‘ere for?” He grumbled, eyes jumping between the three of them. Jack held out the watch from the can and smiled.

“We would like to get this appraised please, and maybe sell it.” He said, handing the watch to the man. His eyes widened as he looked over the watch.

“Wow, this is nice. It looks to be a mix of bronze and gold, maybe some copper. You said you wanted to sell it?” He looks up at Jack who shrugged.

“Depends. How much are you willin’ to give us?” He asked, cocking his head to the side. 

“I don’t know, 80 bucks.” He said, putting the watch down on the counter. Ethan felt a pit in his stomach.

“Absolutely not.” He said, causing all three to look at him. Felix’s mouth hung open and Jack quirked his eyebrows at him. “We aren’t that nieve. That right there is a gold watch in perfect condition, yet you only want to give us 80 dollars? I don’t think so.” He walked up to the counter, pushing past Jack.

“Ethan-”

“Why don’t you tell us the real value.” He said, placing his hands on the counter. The man looked at him, gears turning in his head. Finally, after what seemed like forever he looked down at the watch and smiled.

“Fine kid. Your smarter then you look, I'll give you that. Retail for a designer watch is about 250, but because I can't tell what designer it is the most I can give you is 150.” he looked up at Ethan, waiting for his reply. Ethan thought for a moment before replying. 

“170,” He said, staring into the man's eyes. The man looked down at the watch and then back up and Ethan. Ethan’s nerves started to go haywire as the man stared at him, but he stood his ground. The man sighed and held his hand out. 

“Y’ got yourself a deal, kid.” The man said. Ethan smiled, accepting the handshake. After they had collected the money they left in extremely high spirits. 

“Ethan! Where the hell did you learn to barter like that!” Felix said excitedly, practically bouncing in his crutches. Jack was smiling the widest he had ever seen, eyes twinkling with delight. 

“I don’t know man! I just could just feel him lying to us, and I knew if I was able to get more money we could go get something to eat before we left.” Ethan smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. Both teens lit up at the mention of food. Jack bounced around the two others with an energy Ethan hadn't seen him have earlier. 

“McDonald's here we come!” He shouted, causing Felix to huff.

“Oh hell no! We are eating an actual meal!” he said, trying to catch up with Jack. They started arguing about where to eat. Ethan laughed at their bickering, smiling at his new friends. He looked across the street and called out to his friends. 

“Hey! What about that place! It looks pretty good.” He pointed at the restaurant. The sign read ‘ **Pete’s Family Diner** ’ and had a Mediterranian style building. Jack looked at Ethan and shrugged.

“Sure, they better have burgers though.” He said, looking at Felix. “Whaddya think?” Felix pursed his lips and sighed.

“It's not Swedish meatballs, but it’ll do.” He smiled and turned to Ethan. Ethan smiled back and pushed the crosswalk button. 

“Hell yeah, I'm starving. It can’t be that bad.” 


	4. Strange New Begginings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one will be a little short, BUT things get going and I'm so excited to share this chapter with you! stay safe and stay lovely <3

It wasn't bad. It wasn't. The second they walked in they were met with delicious smells wafting from the kitchen. There was a sign that read ‘seat yourself’, so they did. The seats were comfortable old leather, and there were pictures of smiling people and food on the walls.

“This place is so cozy, it's great!” Said Jack, leaning back against the seat. Felix smiled and nodded.

“Oh yeah, so much better than McDonald's.” He said, smirking. Jack shot up and glared at him.

“Hey! There ain't nothin wrong with McDonald's!” He yelled, causing Felix to roll his eyes.

“Yeah sure, whatever you say you screaming potato.” Jack made an inhuman noise and flipped off Felix, who laughed at Jack. Ethan shook his head and grabbed a menu sitting on the table, reading the options. The other two followed his lead and were oohing and aahing at the options. 

“God it all looks so good!” Ethan cried, eyes flipping through all the options. It wasn't too long before they heard someone walk up to their table. 

“Welcome to Pete’s, what can I get ya?” The waitress asked. Ethan looked up, about to order his drink, but stopped when he saw the lady. His breath hitched and his blood ran cold. He could see Jack out of the corner of his eye scoot his hand toward a knife on the table.

The waitress’s eyes were yellow and slited. Her nose was reptile-like and her hands were replaced with large, scaled, talon-like claws. Her legs merged at the knees and elongated into a snake-like tail. Two wings were folded against the black work shirt she was wearing and an apron with the words ‘ **Pete’s Diner** ’ on it covered her very exposed waist.

“Are you just gonna stare or what?” She said, tapping her pen against her notebook. Felix, god bless him, had not looked up from the menu yet. He nodded and started to speak.

“Uhh yeah can I get a Souvlaki Plate with a side of sala-” he looked up and stopped dead in his tracks, eyes widening, “Åh skit bollar.” The monster sighed and dropped her hands.

“Great, a fucking Escort Satyr. Just my fucking luck.” He growled and put her claws on her hips. Everyone at the table stiffened, ready for her to lunge, but she never did. “Listen up cuz I'm only going to say this once. I'm not going to attack you so you can chill the fuck out. I'm too sick and tired of having to wait centuries in Tartarus just to die within a week because of causing trouble and grabbing the attention of half-blood heroes. I've been alive for ten years now and I am not going to die now so you,” she pointed a claw at Jack, who had his hand around his knife, “Can drop the knife, it’s not even the right kind to kill me. And you,” She pointed at Felix, “Better not tell any higher-ups about this, y’ hear? This is becoming too good of a business to lose.” She huffed and crossed her arms. “Y’all got that?” She eyed each of them. Jack let go of the knife but still had his eyes glued to her. Felix nodded his head and looked around the table. 

“Yeah, yeah we got it… uhh… yeah, we're good.” He squealed, looking back at her. She smiled and brought her notepad up. 

“Great! So, what can I get ya’?”

*~~~*

After they ordered, things got relatively normal again. Still, having a snake-dragon lady, which Ethan learned was called a Drakaina, as a waitress was beyond weird. After the initial  _ oh shit a monster _ scare, she turned out to be really neat. She would crack jokes and inform them about global monster matters. Turns out, there was a whole wave of low-rank monsters trying to live relatively “normal” lives. There weren't many, but there were some. The food was delicious, Ethan hadn’t realized how hungry he was until his burger was set in front of him. They woofed down their food, barely making conversation. The drakania waitress had to come over more than once to remind Felix not to eat the silverware, which was the funniest thing to Jack apparently.

After their meal, the drakania brought over a leftover box and a couple of forks. Felix looked up questioningly while Jack peaked into the box. She smiled and placed the check down.

“Here’s your check.” She said. Jack looked up at her with bright eyes. Ethan stretched over the table to see what was inside, and inside was a couple of square pastries. It took a moment for Ethen to recognize the pastry, but when he did he smiled and looked up at the waitress.

“Is this baklava?” he asked, excitement coursing through his veins. His grandma used to make the desert all the time, and it was still his favorite to this day. She smiled and nodded. 

“Yep. On the house too.” she put her claws on her hips, “The lady at the counter will take your payment when you’re ready.” She started, _slithering_ _away is the right word to use here_ , then turned and faced them again. 

“Oh, and have a safe trip to New York. Gods know you’ll need it.” She smiled, sharp teeth glitching, before disappearing into the kitchen. Jack smiled and slipped out of the booth. 

“Well this has been an interesting experience, but I think we’ve got a bus to catch.” He smiled, grabbing his things. Felix followed suit, dropping a gold coin on the table, and soon they were making their way up to the counter. They paid and waived as they made their way out, thanking the staff. The sun was starting to go down, leaving a lavender sky above their heads as they headed to the ticket station. 


	5. On Our Way To A New Day, Hopefully

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhh boi oh boi oh BOI am I excited for this one! Hints and foreshadowing and character-building? Build up to the next chapter? Hell Yeah!!! Anyway, hope you enjoy! Stay safe and stay Lovely <3!

The bus ride was fairly uneventful. Ethan slept most of the way, only waking up to eat, show a conductor his ticket, and use the restroom. After 10 hours of constant sitting, Ethan was beyond relieved when they came to the New York City stop early the next morning. They jumped off the bus and collected their stuff from the storage compartment and made their way out of the terminal. Jack jumped around in excitement.

“We’re here! Finally thank god!”He smiled and stretched, turning to Felix who was readjusting the arms on his crutches. “So, goat boy, where do we go from here?” he asked. Felix looked up at the sky, eyes squinting in thought. 

“Well, it takes about 16 hours to get to Long Island from New York City on foot-”

“You’re kidding me,” groaned Ethan, absolutely not looking forward to walking even more. 

“So the latest we could be there is tomorrow morning” He finished. He looked at Jack than to Ethan. “It’s not that bad of a walk really.”

“Yeah says you, goat boy,” Jack grumbled. Ethan sighed and shook his head. 

“Can we at least get some food for the road? We have like, 20 bucks left.” He questioned. They nodded and headed over to a 7-Eleven across the street. 

Inside, Jack ran straight to the candy aisle. Felix rolled his eyes and hobbled his way to the dry good section. Ethan looked around the store before his eyes landed on a small fruit cup in a refrigerated display stand.

Now, any smart person would think  _ gross, 7-Eleven made food _ , and then move on. But, Ethan didn't get the memo because he quickly walked up to the fruit cup and picked it up. In it were small sliced strawberries. He smiled and stepped back, looking around once more to see if something else caught his attention. He saw they had a sale on sugared doughnuts, three for a dollar, and decided to get some. As he finished putting the doughnuts in a bag he saw Jack approach him with a bag of Trolli Sour Gummy Worms™ in his hand. 

“Doughnuts, nice!” he smiled, nodding, Y’know where Fe went?” He looked around. Ethan straightened up and looked around.

“I'm pretty sure I saw him heading for the chip aisle.” He said, and not a second later Felix emerged with a large bag of chips. They immediately knew something was off, seeing as Felix’s smile was much more forced than usual. 

“Hey Felix’s everything okay?” asked Ethan, glancing around for danger. Felix’s eyebrows jumped into his hairline and he shook his head.

“Y-yeah! Everything is fine. Let's just get going. Quickly.” He added hastily, going up to the counter. Ethan and Jack looked at each other and silently nodded. Ethan followed behind Felix while Jack stood behind, eyes sweeping the store every couple of seconds. 

After paying for their snacks and putting them in their bags, they left in a hurry and followed Felix as he quickly shot down an alleyway. 

“Fe what’s going on?” asked quickly, eyes darting around the dead-ended ally. 

“Um well, you see-” 

“Hey nerds!” Ethan and Jack spun around at the new voice. Three teens stood, blocking the way to the alleyway. The leader, an obvious jock, smiled and crossed his arms. “I’ve got a question for you.” Ethan gulped and stepped back almost exactly when Jack stepped forward.

“Who are you and what do you want?” He growled, eyes sharpening dangerously. Ethan’s blood ran cold, and he could have sworn he saw his eyes shimmer green for a split second. The Jock faltered for only a split second before continuing. 

“Why, we just wanted to know what a bunch of homeless-looking twinks was doin' running around the city. It’s not safe to be alone, y’know?” The teen smiled wickedly. His two friends grabbed some piping off of the ground. Ethan backed up, even more, meeting Felix’s eye. 

“What kind of monster’s are they? They look relatively human.” He whispered, glancing back and forth. Jack had slowly reached behind his back underneath his bag, where he knew he kept a small bronze blade. Felix exhaled and looked back at Jack. 

“That's because they are. I’ve found that humans are the worst monsters ever.” he whispered shakily, “I can't do anything because of my disguise, and because of my disguise we make easy targets for people like them.” Before he could respond, Jack’s voice caught their attention. 

“Oh, I think we can handle ourselves just fine,” his voice seeped with venom, and every instinct in Ethan’s body told him to  _ stay out of the way cus holy shit Jack is terrifying. _

“So, why don't you  **scurry along before someone gets hurt** ,” Jack growled, pulling the blade out and showing it off. His voice became horrifyingly deep and distorted, and Ethan saw something in his eyes that made everything stand at attention. 

Apparently, though, the guys didn't catch the memo, because the Jock pulled out a pair of studded cuffs, slipping them on. 

“Well, ain't that funny. I was just about to say the same thing.” And with that they lunged Felix grabbed Ethan and jumped back, hitting the wall. Ethan was beyond prepared to try and fail at fighting, but it was over before it even began. 

Jack had swung and the two goons with the pipe, slicing at their arms and splattering blood across the ally way. The Jock got in exactly one punch before Jack practically teleported behind him and sliced at his back, sending the Jock down with a blood-curdling laugh. Ethan watched in horror as the two goons stood back up and swung at him, only to be sent right back to the ground as Jack made what looked like painful slashes across their knees. 

In almost 10 seconds, Jack was standing in the alley surrounded in the, hopefully, passed out, bodies of their attackers and blood splattered on his face, hands, and a little on his shirt. He was breathing heavily and staring at the ground. Felix jumped down and ran to Jack.

“Jack! Are you okay! What the hell happened?” He shouted, reaching out for Jack. Jack looked up at Fe and shied away from his touch. 

“Yeah 'm fine. Jus’ need t’ get cleaned up, s’all.” He said. Ethan jumped down and approached Jack.

“Hey, are you okay?” Jack’s head snapped up at him, “I- I just saw him get in a pretty hard punch, and I was wondering if it hurt…” he added quickly, sentence trailing off. He was still pretty shaken by what he had just seen happen and did not want to be at the end of that blade. Jack’s eyes softened, shrugging his shoulders. 

“I can’t tell, I'm still pretty hyped from the…'' He tailed off, eyes becoming glassy. He shook his head and cleared his throat. “Anyway, we should probably get outta ‘ere.” He wiped his blade off on some cloth on the ground, hiding it in the bag again before turning around and walking swiftly out of the alleyway. Ethan and Felix followed swiftly behind. After a minute of fast walking, Jack dipped into another alleyway before sitting down and groaning. Ethan crouched down and put a hand to his forehead. 

“I’m guessing you're feeling that punch now.” He joked, trying to lighten the mood. Jack laughed and then hissed as Ethan lifted his shirt. His breath caught in his throat as he saw the bright, painful purple bruise forming on his ribs. Felix dropped to Jack's other side and opened his bag. He pulled out a small baggie with what looked to be lemon squares in it. He pulled one out and motioned for Jack to open his mouth. 

“Here, this will make you feel better and help you heal faster.” He said sweetly. Jack looked at his questioningly but opened his mouth to allow Felix to feed it to him. Ethan pulled a water bottle he had gotten in York and a napkin he had taken from the diner. He wetted the napkin and started to clean the blood off of Jack's hands and the little bit on his face. Jack hummed in appreciation and closed his eyes. After he had finished the square and had most of the blood cleaned off of him, he motioned for the water bottle Ethan was holding. Ethan handed him the bottle and watched as he quickly chugged half of it. Handing the bottle back to Ethan he smiled, then winced. 

“God damn it, that hurts like balls.” He laughed, shakily standing up. Felix grabbed his arm and steadied him. 

“Hey hey hey, careful dude.” He said. Ethan stood up with him. 

“Yeah man there’s no rush,” he added. Jack shook his head and smiled.

“I'm fine, just a Lil sore s’all.” He turned to Felix, who had a small smile on his face. Jack’s goofy grin returned to his face and he readjusted his bag. “Plus, we wanna stay on schedule, don't we? So, goat-boy, lead the way.” 

Felix laughed and rolled his eyes, turning and leading them out of the ally and down the street. Ethan smiled at his friends, but something in the back of his mind told him to keep an eye on Jack, so he did. He wasn't scared, per-say. It was just something about seeing the terrifying bruise on his side that had him standing on edge. Every instinct in his body was telling him that _ Jack should be resting, not walking for god knows how long with that severe of an injury make him fucking stop _ , but he ignored it. 

Hopefully, everything will be better tomorrow. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter! I love hearing your feedback and theories, so thank you all so much! The update schedule might get a little rocky but for now, here is this bad boy with a lovely *somewhat* cliff hanger. Stay safe and stay lovely <3!


	6. Welcome, To Camp Half-Blood!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh BOY its here, CHB! OWO what this? The love interest has appeared? For five whole seconds. please don't kill me. Stay safe and stay lovely <3

It was not better. Thankfully it was in the middle of the fucking night and they were stumbling through the woods of northern Long Island so Ethan couldn't really say anything for tomorrow, still. It sucked. 

Ethan always got absolutely drained by the end of the day, even if he didn't do anything. So Ethan stumbling through the pitch dark woods was torture. Ethan would have actually passed out if it weren't for every nerve in his body going absolutely  _ batshit crazy _ over Jack. His breathing had become labored and so obviously painful that Ethan was one ragged breath away from losing his mind and going full nurse mode on him. It was just how he was. He was always the first person to make sure other kids on the playground were okay when they got hurt. Still, it didn't help. 

Eventually, Ethan tripped on a branch and instead of getting up to keep going, he just laid there hoping the earth would swallow him whole. Felix rushed up to him.

“Ethan! Are you okay?” he asked. Ethan looked up at him with the most  _ eat shit goat man _ , look he could muster. Felix laughed and nodded.

“Okay okay, I get it. We’ll rest a little while,” He said, and almost immediately Jack slouched against a tree and laughed.

“Oh thank god. I thought we were gonna be walking all night!” He sighed happily and put his pack down. Felix looked over and winked.

“Oh don't worry, my stamina is good enough to last me for days,” He said, wiggling his eyebrows. Ethan and Jack both let out a loud groan.

“Oh my ggoooddd-”

“Shut the fock up Fe” Jack groaned and flipped the Satyr off, who just laughed and started to gather wood for a fire. Soon, they were all lying by a small fire, slowly dozing off under the stars. 

The morning was difficult. Everything hurt and they were covered in dirt and twigs. Jack’s breathing had softened but he was still cradling his side. They ate the rest of their food quickly, then gathered their things and continued to follow Felix through the forest. It wasn’t until a little before noon that Felix bleated in joy. 

“I see it! I see the tree!” He jumped in glee, pointing to a large pine tree on top of a hill. He started to practically sprint up the hill, which was way easier for a satyr than a human. Jack and Ethan stumbled after him, calling after him and only getting excited ‘come on! Hurry!’ in response. Soon, Felix was standing next to the tree, jumping around excitedly. Jack joined his side and gasped, nearly sending Ethan into a panic.

“Whoa… that's awesome!” he shouted, smiling down the valley. Ethan scurried up and stood next to Jack, eyes widening in wonder. Below was what looked like a beautiful, strange combination of a summer camp and a greek village. There was a large house with a blue roof, and not too far away was a large strawberry patch. There was a lake, a strange roofless building with tabling, what looked like an amphitheater, a rock wall with what Ethan hoped was fake lava, some sort of arena, and so many other things he could barely process.

“Holy shit…” he breathed, looking at the camp below. Felix laughed and gestured to the scene below. 

“Welcome, friends, too-”

“Camp Half-Blood,” A voice spoke up from behind them, startling them. Felix snapped around with a curse.

“Skit knull! How many times have I told you not to sneak up on me like that!” He shouted, causing the person to laugh. 

The figure stepped out of the shadows, a well-manicured hand over their mouth. She was a tall yet dainty woman, Ethan had to guess she was at least seventeen. Her nails were painted a soft lavender color and her eyes were hidden by a pair of round wooden sunglasses. Her wavy brown hair peeked out of her large black sun hat and two silver skull studs poked out of her hair. She wore a large, very comfortable looking grey knitted cardigan which hid an orange t-shirt,  _ Camp Half-Blood _ scrawled across it. She moved her hand and smiled.

“Well, hello to you too, Felix. I believe you've asked me not to sneak up on you a total of 37 times,” She cocked her head to the side, feigning innocence, “But who can keep track?” Although he couldn't see her eyes, Ethan knew they were glinting mischievously behind the thick frames. Felix rolled his eyes, gesturing to the girl.

“Ethan, Jack, meet cabin 20’s counselor and the only member of cabin 20, Jade Kieren. Jade, Ethan, and Jack.” Jade turned to them and smiled wide, clapping her hands together. 

“Oh wonderful! The first new campers of the summer!” She turned back to Felix and pursed her lips, “I would walk down to the Big House with you, but I wanted to try a new spell and it calls for a specific type of mushroom that disappears after noon.” Suddenly, a basket and a small knife appeared in her hand. “I do hope you will come by for tea, Kathryn grew all the ingredients this time!”

“Uhh yeah, I’ll see if I can before I leave. Go find your mushrooms, we’ll see you later.” Felix said, waving as the girl, Jade, walked away. He sighed and looked at us. 

“Well, she was interesting,” Ethan said, deciding not to mention the way her eye’s glowed when he saw them behind the glasses. Felix nodded. 

“Yeah, she’s a strange one all right. But, of course, all of Hekate’s children are like that.” Jack side-eyed him, eyebrows raised.

“Who?” he asked, voice going up an octave. Felix ignored the question and turned towards the blue-roofed house.

“You’ll understand later. Right now, we gotta get you guys settled in.” He motioned to the house and started to make his way down the hill. Ethan and Jack looked at each other, sharing a  _ what the fuck _ moment before following Felix down into the valley. 

*~~~*

On their way down, they were met with smiles and stares from kids in the orange camp shirts, presumably the other campers. Ethan had some very preppy girls with very obviously fake eyelashes wink at him, and he would be lying if he said it didn't make him uncomfortable. He nearly had a heart attack when a large man stepped around the corner in full bronze armor and a giant fucking spear. Ethan watched as large Satyrs walked past and said hello to Felix, asking him about some girl named “Marzia”. Soon, they reached the door of the house, Felix grabbing the handle and opening the door. 

Ethan really wished he had stayed outside. 

Inside, a man in a wheelchair was listening to a very heated argument between two campers, a boy and a girl. In the corner was a very tall, very intimidating dude who stared at them with the most pissed off look Ethan had ever seen in his life. A dude with a tiger print Hawaiian shirt was smoking a cigar and looked like he wanted to jump off the roof. 

“-And then I woke up and it was gone! I knew-”

“You don’t know shit! Why on earth would I want a silk scarf? I don't even wear scarves!” Yelled the male camper. Ethan couldn’t see his face but was nearly floored by his voice. It was rough and warm and made Ethan forget how to breathe.

“I saw you ogling at it yesterday during the campfire! And I don't know why such a dirty boy would want it, but it was probably for that Athena girl you’ve been crushing on!” she spat, turning completely to the boy. The boy turned his head to face the girl and Ethan, again, was absolutely floored. He looked Asian, his golden-tan skin covered in what looked like ash except for a line around his eyes. He had a small scar on his neck and another on the corner of his lip. He looked at the girl with an eyebrow raised.

“Okay first off, I don't have a crush on Amy, I don't see why you Aphrodite kids always make every relationship more than it has to be,” The girl fumed at that statement, “And second, I was brainstorming a new weapon last night! I usually zone out when that happens so I'm sorry if you got your panties in a twist but-”

“SHUT UP!” Everyone’s head snapped towards the tiger-print guy, who’s eyes glowed purple. “God, you’re worse than your parents!” he sighed and put his head in his hands. “Marie, he didn't steal you stupid handkerchief-”

“Scarf-”

“Whatever! He didn’t take it! Stop bickering and get out of here so I can deal with the two new brats that just walked in!” And with that everyone's eyes turned to them, and Ethan almost fainted. The boy’s eye’s were fucking beautiful. Like warm honey or dark amber. They looked warm and inviting, yet burned with such an intensity Ethan could have sworn he was going to catch fire. The girl looked between the two and huffed, storming out. The big burly guy in the back kicked off the wall and uncrossed his arms, striding towards them. He stopped in front of Ethan and looked him up and down, same with Jack, before putting his hand out.

“I’m Tyler, Son of Nemesis and Counselor of Cabin Sixteen. Nice to meet you.” He said, giving a soft smile. Ethan shook his hand, smiling back.

“Uhhh yeah, nice to meet you too. I'm Ethan.” Tyler nodded and Jack held up a hand.

“Uhm, sorry if this comes out a little rude, but did you just say you were the son of Nemesis? Like, the Goddess?” He asked, looking at Tyler like he had two heads. Tyler just nodded his head.

“Yeah.” He said, like Jack had just asked if the sky was blue. Jack looked at him, waiting for Tyler to continue, but he didn’t. Finally, Jack threw his hands up.

“Alright. Not the weirdest thing to happen.” He sighed and sat down in a nearby chair. Ethan just looked back and forth, trying to put the pieces together in his head. The boy cleared his throat and tapped his fingers against his thigh.

“Um, hi, I'm Mark. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood.” He said, waiving. The tiger-print guy cleared his throat very loudly, causing them to jump. “And we will be leaving now, thanks Mr. D,” Mark rushed out, grabbing a very undisturbed Tyler by the hand and dragging him out. It was silent for a whole minute before someone spoke up. 

“Ah, welcome campers. What are your names?” The man in the wheelchair spoke, smiling at them. Jack was too busy staring at the floor to answer, so Ethan took a shaky breath.

“Uh, my name's Ethan and,” he pointed to Jack, who’s eyebrows were furrowed in thought, “And that's Jack.” the man hummed. Before he could say anything though, Jack lifted his head. 

“Can I ask a question?” He asked, causing the tiger-print man, presumably Mr. D, to look up in shock.

“You’re Irish?” He asked, eyebrows raised. Jack blinked in surprise. 

“Uh yeah. But I don't-”

“Nice. I haven't partied with an Irishman in eons. Let alone a half-blood Irishman. This should be fun.” He smirked, pulling a can of diet coke out of thin air and a deck of cards. Ethan really thought his head was going to explode. 

“How-”

“Yeah about that.” Jack stood up and walked towards where they were sitting, “You said ‘half-blood’, and based off of that conversation we walked in on, your weird glowing eyes, what that dude Tyler said, the stuff you just made appear out of thin-fucking- air, and literally all the other shit I’ve been through for the past month, I'm going to guess the gods, specifically the greek gods if I have my pantheons correct, are real, and we’re-” he pointed to a very shocked Ethan and himself, “- half-god, or something.” The two men stared at him with shocked looks, “I get everything right?” 

Mr.D threw his hands back and sighed. “Yeah basically, kid. Hit the nail on the head.” 

“What!” Ethan yelled, all eyes turning towards him. “I'm sorry, but what the hell is going on!” wheelchair man sighed and stood up. Then he kept standing up, and the blanket on his legs fell off to reveal legs like Felix’s, except white and more horse-like. And a whole horse body and another set of legs at the back of the horse. Jack stared at him in awe while Ethan looked in horror because _ how the hell did almost an entire horse body fit into a fucking wheelchair! _

“Ethan, I think you should sit down. This is going to be a very long chat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHH Okay they got to camp! and Ethan met Mark! For like, five seconds. Anyway, just going to mention it again but updates might be a Lil shaky but I will try to get them out as soon as I can. Stay safe and stay lovely <3


	7. All Hail, Son of the Night Walker!

It wasn't that long of a talk. The horse guy, a centaur by the name of Chiron, explained almost everything. What he did not explain was who Ethan’s dad was or why it took so long for a monster to find him. See, apparently, half-bloods start smelling really good to monsters around age twelve, and seeing as Ethan had turned 14 the past October, Chiron was quite surprised he hadn't been killed. Still, apparently that meant he would find out who his father was soon. 

“I am honestly surprised your parents haven't claimed you, boys, already,” He said, taking a sip of iced tea. Ethan stared into his glass, thinking. In reality, it made a lot of sense. He had changed schools almost every year and this last year he had been kicked out for ‘disturbing the peace’, which is fancy school talk for ‘we don't like kids with ADHD and dyslexia'. Jack sighed and stood up from the chair he was sitting in. 

“Well, I think we need a shower. Mind telling us where we will be staying?” He said, crossing his arms. Chiron nodded and turned towards the door. 

“Yes of course. But, “ He raised his voice, “ I think our eavesdroppers should give the tour if they are so interested in our new campers. Don't you think so, Mr. Scheid and Mr. Fischbach?” Ethan heard a thump and a curse from behind the door, followed by hurried whispers. Then, the door opened and Tyler walked in sheepishly followed by Mark with a goofy grin. 

“Uhh sure. We’d be glad to.” He said, scratching the back of his head. Chiron nodded and turned to us. Jack grabbed his bag and Ethan hurriedly stood up, trying to make it look like he hadn’t been sleeping in the woods for the past two weeks. Tyler cleared his voice and held open the door. 

“We better get started, then.” He mumbled. Ethan hurried out of the house followed by Jack. Once outside, Tyler leads them to the grouping of cabins, talking about each one. Ethan barely paid attention until they appeared by an old wooden cabin with a caduceus symbol above the door. 

“... And this is where you will be staying until you are claimed.” He said, motioning to the cabin. Jack had started walking up the steps when Mark’s voice spoke up behind Ethan, making him jump. 

“I wouldn’t get too settled in though, you guys will most likely get claimed sometime today, and you’ll have to change cabin before curfew.” He said, putting his hands in his pockets. Jack looked at him, and was about to say something when a loud crash and shouting came from inside. Tyler immediately shot up the stairs and smashed through the door. Mark cursed and ran after him, looking really annoyed, and Ethan ran after him, having a strange urge to make sure everyone was okay. 

He stepped inside to see what looked like to be a stand-off between Tyler and a tall large man with a smaller kid in a headlock. The large man smiled and nodded at Tyler. 

“Hey Ty, what's up.” He said, ignoring the other kid smacking his belly. Tyler crossed his arms and gave the most  _ don’t pull any bullshit or I will smite you _ look Ethan had ever seen. 

“Bob, let Wade go.” He said sternly. Everyone stared at the two. Bob smiled and let go of Wade, who huffed and nodded at Tyler. 

“Thanks, Tyler, I owe ya one.” He wheezed, then locked eyes with Jack, “Hey, new campers!” He smiled, then all eyes turned to them. Bob cocked his head to the side and looked at Mark. 

“Undetermined?” He asked. Mark nodded.

“Yep. They should get claimed sometime today, most likely at the campfire.” Everyone nodded and Wade approached Jack and Ethan. 

“Hey I’m Wade, second in command at the Hermes cabin. Put your stuff down anywhere and we’ll get you some new clothes.” He said, leading them towards a couple of empty bunks. Ethan threw his stuff down and flopped onto the bunk. 

“God it’s been a while since I slept on a bed.” He murmured, smiling. Wade laughed and smiled as well, crossing his arms. 

“Well, you will probably be moving to another cabin soon, so don't unpack completely.” He said. Ethan hummed and Jack set his stuff on the bed next to him, sighing. “Well, I’ll go get your camp shirts and other toiletries, Talk to Bob if you have any questions.” And with that he left out the front door. Ethan looked up to see Tyler, Bob, and Mark deep in conversation, and everyone else had gone back to whatever they were doing. Jack had started to clean his blade and Ethan was too overwhelmed to talk to anyone, so he sat on his bed deep in thought. His dad was a god. Okay, that explained a lot. There were a lot of other people whose moms and dads were gods, too. And they had a camp. Lead by the wine god and a thousand-year-old horseman. Made sense. After about a minute, Ethan noticed everyone had gone quiet. He looked up to see Jade standing at the front door. Tyler raised an eyebrow, but Bob smiled. 

“Ah, Jade! I'm guessing you're here for your package?” He asked. Jade took off her sunglasses, revealing bright green eyes, and smiled. 

“Maybe I just wanted to say hello!” She put her glasses in her shirt, “But yes, I am also here for that.” Bob laughed and motioned her to follow him. The conversation almost started back up but stopped when she gasped and snapped her head towards Jack. The air suddenly became very tense, like one wrong move would set off an atom bomb. Jack looked at her, then at everyone else in the room.

“Can I... help you?” He asked, looking at her with an eyebrow raised. She eyed his dagger, eyes wide in excitement. 

“Stygian iron anelace dagger, named Agonía, or Agony in English. Forged three thousand years ago as a gift to Hekate’s first recorded son. It’s been lost for nearly five hundred years! Where on earth did you get it?” She asked, pure excitement radiating off of her, Bob looked between the two, and his eyebrows furrowing. Jack looked at her in awe.

“Uh, it was a present-”

“From who!”

“Will y’ let me speak! It was a present from my… my mom…” He trailed off, eyes widening in realization. Ethan looked between the two but stopped when Jack's body seemed to be cast in silver light. Above his head was a strange circle with weird maze-like designs on the inside, and in the center of the circle were three paired torches. Ethan didn't know how something could glow black, but that's exactly what it was doing. 

Jade’s hands clapped in excitement as she jumped up and down while everyone else in the cabin looked in awe, but Ethan could see glimpses of horror in their eyes. Tyler tried to hide his mortification and Mark looked so deep in thought Ethan could practically see the gears turning in his head. 

“All hail Jack, Son of Hecate, Lady of Magic and The Night!” exclaimed Jade, bounding over to Jack and grabbing his hand. “My baby brother!” Jack looked stunned, then smiled wide, eyes twinkling with joy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Romance will come! Please hold out for me, will ya? Stay safe and stay lovely <3!


	8. New Starts, Warm Harts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear lord, it has been a WHILE! I'm so sorry this took so freaking long, but I am at a spot where I know what I want to happen next but actually writing it is extremely difficult. I've also been working on some other works in the Sanders Side's fandom so if you are part of that fandom I would love if you checked them out!   
>  Anyway, while I was going to have this be one big chapter I decided to just make it a short filler to actually give yall something to read. If you have anything you would like to see or a scene that you think would be cool please comment it bellow! As always, stay safe and stay lovely!

Just then, the cabin door swung open.

“Alright, I’ve got-” Wade stopped as he looked up, eyebrows raising in shock. “Bad time?” Jade spun around to Bob. 

“I would love my package right now please!” She then spun around to Wade, who was holding two plastic bags. “And thank you for grabbing my little bro’s stuff! But we really should get going now!” Bob handed her a burlap sack, which she grabbed along with Jack’s hand. Jack barely had time to grab his stuff before he was dragged out of the cabin, Wade passing the plastic bag to him as he ran past. Everyone stared at the door. 

“I’ll go report this discovery to Chiron. He’ll be glad Jade isn’t alone now.” Said Tyler, nodding to Bob before walking out. Mark smiled at Bob and Wade before glancing at Ethan. They held the gaze before Mark looked away and rushed out of the door. Bob sighed and crossed his arms. 

“Well, that was interesting.” He said, and some of the people in the cabin laughed. Wade scoffed and walked towards Ethan. 

“That’s for sure. Here,” he handed the other bag to Ethan. Ethan looked in to see some toiletries, an orange shirt, and a candy bar, “You should probably get cleaned up, lunch is going to be soon. Showers are that way.” He pointed to the back of the cabin.

“Thanks…” Ethan replied, digging through the bag for his shampoo and conditioner. He grabbed his extra clothes and headed towards the bathroom, trying to not make eye contact with anyone. Thankfully, no one paid him any mind and he rushed into the bathroom and closed the door. He leaned against the door and sighed. He set everything down, turned the shower on, and hoped in. 

The hot water felt heavenly. He hummed as he washed his body, watching two weeks' worth of dirt and grime get rinsed down the drain. He thought about everything. His mom, his baby brother, the baby-eating drakon Lamia, his home, everything. He couldn’t tell if he was crying or if the water was making his face wetter than normal. 

In two weeks, he had lost everything. He shuddered, holding back a sob. He cried for the entire shower, then the water turned cold and shocked him back to reality. He turned off the shower and stepped out. He quickly dried off and got dressed, grabbing his dirty clothes and walking out of the bathroom. The cabin was nearly empty and Ethan assumed they were at lunch. He set his things down on his bed and grabbed a jacket he had packed when he left, putting it on and zipping it up slightly. He sighed and walked out of the cabin, nearly running into Wade. 

“Shit! Wade, you scared me!” He laughed, smoothing his clothes. Wade laughed and apologized.

“Sorry man, I just wanted to check up on you and let you know we were at the shooting range in case you wanted to come and check it out.” He smiled.

“Oh yeah! Sure I’ll go, where is it?” He asked. Wade pointed across the field. 

“It’s that way, not too far. I walk with you.” He said, starting to walk that way. Ethan noticed things about the camp he hadn't before, like how the horses in the stables had wigs and there were girls in the lake, smiling at him. Or how each cabin looked almost completely different. Really, Ethan felt an odd sense of home, even though he hasn’t been there very long. As they approached the shooting range, he saw many more people than those who were in the Hermes cabin earlier. 

“There are more of you?!” He squealed, causing Wade to laugh. 

“Well, this is a camp full of half-bloods, so there would be more of us. We’re sharing the range with the Apollo cabin today, showoffs.” He said. Ethan laughed, looking at the group. Chiron was walking behind each student, telling them how to fix their stance or moving their elbow. He turned and smiled at Ethan.

“Ah, welcome! We have just started, grab a bow and some arrows, and class shall begin.” Ethan grabbed one of the many bows and some arrows and lined up with the rest of the group. Some side-eyed him but said nothing as they were taking their turns. Ethan approached the shooting line and looked at the people next to him. The dude on his right smiled then pulled out an arrow. Ethan watched as he aimed and fired, getting a straight bullseye. Ethan docked an arrow and looked at the target. Chiron came up behind him and put a hand on his elbow. He whispered advice, and soon Ethan was hitting every target without a second thought. 

“Wonderful shot! You are quite skilled with a bow, Ethan.” Chiron commented, causing a warm feeling in Ethan’s stomach. After a few more shots, a horn blew in the distance.

“Hermes cabin, to pavilion.” Called Bob, heading towards the roofless building. Ethan dropped his bow and arrows off with the spares and followed the group.

“Apollo cabin, lunchtime!” Yelled a person from the Apollo cabin, causing cheers. Apollo kids rushed past the Hermes cabin and up to the pavilion. As they entered the pavilion, Ethan noticed Mark laughing with a group of kids also covered in soot. Mark looked up and they locked eyes. Ethan felt his face get hot as Mark waived, smiling sheepishly and waving back. 

“Ethan!” A voice shouted, slamming into him. Ethan startled and looked at the person hugging him, smiling as he saw a very happy Jack. He had changed and was now wearing a camp shirt over a black hoodie and a ring with three torches on it. 

“Jack! You scared me!” He laughed, slapping Jack on the back. Jack laughed and let go. “How are you doing? That was quite an exit you made.” Jack’s smile faltered a bit.

“Oh I’m okay, Jade is really awesome. I spent almost all morning learning about what being a child of Hekate is all about and how the camp works. It’s pretty great.” He said, biting his lip. Ethan noticed his unease.

“But…?” He asked, eyebrows raised. Jack looked down then around at the people chatting. 

“People don't really like us… because of what we can do. When your mom is the literal goddess of magic, necromancy, and reigns over the creatures of the night, people tend to be afraid of you.” He said, sighing. Ethan hated the idea of not liking someone just because of their parents. He put a hand on Jack’s shoulder.

“Dude, I could never be afraid of you. You shouldn’t be judged by who your mom is” He said. Jack smiled and nodded. 

“Yeah, thank you.” He looked back, and Ethan saw Jade was waving him over to their table. “Well, I better go sit down. Talk later?” Ethan nodded and saw Jack run off to join his sister. Ethan walked to where the Hermis table was and sat down. One of the kids gave him a strange look, but when Ethan asked him what was wrong he just looked away. After everyone was gathered, Chiron stood up and cleared his throat causing the chatter to stop. 

“Good afternoon everyone. I have two very short announcements, then we can get to lunch.” He smiled and clasped his hands together. 

“I assume most of you noticed that we have two new campers! They arrived this morning, and I hope everyone will make them feel at home!” He smiled. Ethan was scared he would call them out and make them introduce themselves like in school, but thankfully he didn’t. “In other news, the deadline for Capture the Flag alliances is tomorrow, so make sure to get them solidified. To the gods!” He raised his goblet, the rest of the camp following his lead. Ethan looked down into the goblet, and Wade leaned over.

“Just say the drink you want into it, as long as it's not alcohol you should get it.” Ethan nodded and spoke into the cup, watching in awe as it filled with Bang energy drink. 

“Nice.” He whispered, digging into the food. The Pavilion was alive with energy, people talking and laughing with their siblings. Ethan prayed to his dad, whoever he was, to just claim him already so he wouldn’t be alone for much longer. 


End file.
